Originally set for release for Holiday 1993, Sega’s Sonic the Hedgehog 3 proved too ambitious for the company – the size of the cartridge was going to make the game’s manufacturing super expensive, and the rapidly expanding size and scope of the game was likely to make it miss its scheduled release. So they split the game in two – Sonic the Hedgehog 3 for early 1994, and Sonic & Knuckles for late 1994.